1. Fields of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device for swing training and exercise, and, more particularly, to a transportable, foldable golf swing device which presents visual positioning cues and provides muscle development during swing practice.
2. Discussion of Background And Prior Art
Many types of devices have been designed and made for training and exercising swing motions required in an athletic or sport activity. These devices help athletes or sportsmen to learn, practice, and improve their swings. These swing training devices help the user to train and build up muscles and muscle memory needed to effect a good, proper swing.
a. Visible Drag Swing Training Devices
Various sports require the swinging of a particular sports equipment (i.e. golf club, tennis racquet, baseball bat, etc.). The swing motion used in such sports generally includes: 1) the back-swing; 2) the down-swing or power-side area (i.e. hitting area); and 3) the up-swing or follow-through area. While mastering all aspects of the swing are critical to a stellar performance, the main part of a swing is the down-swing or power stroke since it unleashes the hitting power and develops the greatest speed in the swing motion. The least amount of air-resistant force or aerodynamic drag and required muscle strength and coordination is generally experienced during the back-swing and the follow-through. Therefore, it is generally desired that a swing training device be designed so that a user experiences the most amount of drag during a down-swing and the least amount of drag during a back-swing or up-swing thereby more closely simulating the forces felt and required in an actual swing. During training and exercise with any device, a user would want to experience this larger amount of resistance during the down-swing in order to develop and build up those muscles needed for an effective swing.
One such prior art device to Beutler (U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,683) teaches a method and apparatus for training a swinger to develop the proper motions and muscles needed to effect a good golf swing. The apparatus has a set of foldable blades mounted to a shaft handle. The blades are folded closed (hanging down) at the start of the back-swing, unfold open at the top of the back-swing, and purport to remain in that position throughout the down-swing and follow-through providing constant drag throughout the entire swing. This device fails to accurately simulate a golf swing which does not require constant muscle forces throughout the swing. Moreover, among other deficiencies, due to the cumbersome rotational means in the shaft and grip, this device is not likely to maintain the open blades perpendicular to the path of the swing even if the blades open as described and, therefore, could not provide accurate visual cues to enable the swinger to adjust a defective swing.
Thus, there is a long felt need for an effective variable drag golf swing training device, and, moreover, for a golf swing muscle building device that will readily accommodate different levels of drag suited to the different strength levels of people, i.e., providing high drag versions for men and low drag embodiments for women and children.
b. Visual Cues During A Sports Swing
Another problem faced by most sportsmen, such as golfers, in training and exercising swing motions for various sports is that they lack the ability to visualize and see themselves when they are swinging a particular sports equipment. Without this visualization, sportsmen cannot easily identify the problems and errors encountered in their swings and swing motions by themselves and they, therefore, are not able to make appropriate adjustments that would enable them to effect a good, proper swing.
Typical prior art swing training devices, particularly golf swing devices, do not provide any means, much less an effective means, for visualizing the problems encountered during the swing which would guide the sportsman in making corrections to develop an effective, proper swing. Most prior swing training devices that do attempt to provide some visual cue to the swinger are too small to provide an effective cue. Those prior devices that are large enough to provide a good visual cue are subject to a variety of problems including too cumbersome, too expensive, having to attach to a golf club itself and becoming easily misaligned, and not being readily transportable for use, such as, in a suitcase during an overnight business trip to be used for practice in the hotel room.
Therefore, there is a long felt need for a swing training device providing the sportsman with a visual aid for guiding and training himself to position and swing a particular sports equipment effectively and which is easily handled, inexpensive and transportable.
Therefore, in overcoming the problems and limitations of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus used for swing training and exercising which provides a maximum amount of air resistance during a down-swing and a minimal amount of air resistance during the back-swing and up-swing of a swing motion to realistically simulate the muscle forces felt in an actual golf swing.
It is another object of this invention to provide a swing training device that provides a strong visual aid to a sportsman especially during the down-swing or proper stroke for guiding and training himself to effect a good, proper swing motion.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a swing training device that trains and builds up a swinger's muscles needed for a good, proper swing motion.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a swing training device that is easily handled, inexpensive, foldable and readily transportable.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a swing training device that may be readily available in a variety of forms which vary in the amount of drag provided by the swing training device to accommodate different physical requirements of various users.